Which documents need an apostille?
Public documents crossing a border between Convention countries. The harder question is which authority issues it — administrative and judicial documents go to different offices, in Türkiye and almost everywhere else.
In brief
- Document category
- Diğer
- Apostille
- Depends on the case
- Validity
- The apostille itself has no expiry; the underlying document governs
An apostille is needed where a public document issued in one Convention country is to be used in another. Whether your document needs one is decided by the institution receiving it — but the pattern is predictable.
⭐ Usually yes
- Civil status records, unless issued on a multilingual form
- Diplomas, transcripts and educational certificates
- Criminal record certificates
- Court decisions and judicial documents
- Company registry extracts and corporate resolutions
- Powers of attorney drawn up before a foreign notary
Usually no
- Documents issued in Türkiye for use in Türkiye
- Multilingual civil status extracts, where accepted
- Powers of attorney issued at a Turkish consulate
- Pre-printed multilingual trade and circulation documents
- International driving permits
⚠ Which authority — the part people get wrong
Most countries designate more than one apostille authority, split between administrative and judicial documents.
In Türkiye: administrative documents through the provincial governorate or district authority; judicial documents — court decisions, criminal records — through the judicial commission at the courthouse.
A file with a birth certificate and a divorce decree therefore needs two authorities. Plan both, or you will discover the second after queuing at the first.
Private documents
An apostille certifies an official signature. A purely private document — a company letter, a private agreement — may have to be notarised first so that there is an official signature to certify.
Non-Convention countries
Where either country is outside the Convention, consular legalisation applies instead and the chain is longer — see documents from non-Hague countries.
The order
Apostille the original first, then translate; the apostille is itself part of what is translated — see in which order documents are processed.
The rule that overrides all of this
Nothing on this page beats the receiving institution's own answer. Lists are a guide to the usual pattern, and institutions vary within it — some accept documents others will not, and some ask for certification where none is obviously required.
Ask before spending, name the specific document and the specific procedure, and prefer a written answer where one is available. Extra certification obtained on a guess does not strengthen a file, and the fee is not recoverable.
Frequently asked questions
Civil status records, diplomas, criminal records, court decisions and corporate documents crossing a border.
Turkish documents used in Türkiye, multilingual extracts, consular powers of attorney and pre-printed trade forms.
Administrative documents go to the governorate; judicial documents to the courthouse commission.
Usually only after notarisation, so that there is an official signature to certify.
Apostille the original first; it is part of what gets translated.
As a guide to the usual pattern. The receiving institution's own answer overrides it, so ask before spending.